


Two Gods

by Jewelbug



Category: MCU, Marvel, Thor - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Loki - Freeform, Loki Does What He Wants, M/M, Original Character(s), Post-Ragnarok, Thor - Freeform, Thorki - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-19 11:36:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7359646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jewelbug/pseuds/Jewelbug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a thousand years of loneliness, Thor is almost glad to see the advent of Ragnarok. He knows he will die killing Jormungard, and he his looking forward to leaving the world with this one last heroic deed.</p>
<p>But he is saved by unexpected allies: Jin and Dea, a warrior and a priestess from Midgard ... and he finds a new purpose to live.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The moment Thor had faced the mighty serpent Jormungard, he had known that this would be his last fight. And he was not afraid of death – he knew the prophecies, after all; had always known that Ragnarok would be his last battle.  
So it was with a peaceful mind that he had set out to slay the beast, Mjolnir’s handle warm in his hand. Finally, things would come to an end. He had lived for millennia, and lost more than his heart was able to bear. Somehow the golden halls of Asgard seemed less bright now, his adventures with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three less thrilling, his duties as the heir of the throne of Asgard and protector of the nine realms less honorable – and the void beyond Bifrost more and more compelling.  
He vaguely remembered a romance with a mortal, a millennium or so ago, but that was long gone, and he couldn’t recall his feelings from back then. He remembered the other heroes, his friends and comrades, more clearly – he had so many memories he turned over and over in his head at night, of every single one of them with their own strengths and pains and beauty. But the Avengers, like Jane, like his brother, were gone, taken from him by the irresistible tides of time.  
And now it was his turn to give in to these tides and see where they might lead them. He just wished Loki would be here, at his side, so they could finish together what they had started together such a long time ago.  
And now, here he lay in the dirt of the battlefield, his aching body maimed by the mighty serpent, and watched it writhing and lashing above him in the throes of death, its skull shattered by three powerful blows with Mjolnir. He knew he would die when it finally collapsed, the giant whorls of its body filling his field of vision like the sky, and he was ready to do so.  
But the impact never happened. Instead, the ground itself rose before him, covering him with sand and stones instead of Jormungard’s body. He stared and could not understand what was happening.  
“Move your goddamn ass, this snake is fuckin’ heavy!” There was an angry, strained voice behind him, and suddenly someone locked his arms around Thor’s chest.  
His heart suddenly pounded in his chest as a familiar smell washed over him, bitter with just a hint of sweetness in it – and yet, and yet he had loved this smell and longed for it.  
Then he was pulled, away from Jormungards body. The pain in his shattered body overwhelmed him, and the darkness took him.

 

When he woke up, he was still lying on the ground, but someone put a cushion beneath his head. The noise of the battle had dropped, and he could hear a low humming above him: a woman’s voice, sweet and comforting.  
He still hurt, but it was much better now. Small hands stroked along his body, and where they touched him, Thor’s skin tingled and heated, and the pain intensified – but it was the pain of healing. He could feel his bones regrow, his muscles stretch around them as his innate recuperative powers did their work, supported by the warm touches.  
He moaned as a lightning shot through his spine. His legs twitched on their own, and then there were other hands, larger and cold, on his forehead and his temples. A familiar smell washed over Thor, the prickling in his skin ceased, and the pain was almost gone.  
He tried to open his eyes, moaning lowly. The cooling hands were gone in an instant.  
Thor blinked. He was still on the battle field, beside the slain serpent.  
“Where’s my brother?” he wanted to ask, but all that came out was a string of inarticulate consonants.  
A woman appeared in his sight, golden hair and bronze skin. “Wait a second.” She helped him to sit up and handed him a mug, filled with a white, pearly liquid. “This will help you.”  
He drowned it in one gulp. His head cleared and his senses sharpened. “Thank you. Who are you? What happened?”  
The woman smiled. “I am Dea of Orfalîs, Moondancer and Priestess of the Dragon. My spouse saved you from being crushed beneath Jormungard.”  
“And you healed me. Thank you.”  
Dea shook her head. “I just did what the healers told me to. I am no feldsher.”  
“But you still helped me.”  
She smiled. “That’s what I am here for.”  
Thor looked around them. There were soldiers resting, and healers taking care of the injured.  
“Hasn’t there… been someone else? Just a few moments before?”  
Dea shook his head. “Here, with us? No.”  
Imagination, Thor told himself.  
A woman approached them, tall and dark. She was heavily armored and armed with two slim sabers. She bent down to kiss Dea’s hair.  
“Dea, love, is he awake?” Thor recognized the voice. Move your ass.  
He got up from the ground. “Awake and ready to join to the battle.”  
The woman grinned. “Well that’s a man after my fancy.” She held out her hand. “Generaless Jin, leader of Orfalis’ army and prophetess of the Dragon.”  
Her handshake was strong, and he could feel the blisters on her palms. “Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard.”  
Jin laughed. “Of course I know who you are. I saved you from that reptile there.” She waved in the direction of Jormungard’s carcass. “I have to admit that I’m really impressed by how you defeated it. It would be an honor for me if you’d join us. A giant wolf has been spotted, and your father took a battalion of Einherjar and went off to fight it.”  
Thor grinned. He suddenly felt much better.  
“Fenris, yes. Let’s take it down, then.”

 

The battle raged on for weeks, and Thor was close to death more than once. But whenever he’d be hurt, Dea would be there, dressing his wounds and giving him a sense of comfort he hadn’t known since his mother died – and whenever he collapsed, there would be this cool touch and this familiar smell, soothing his pain and giving him peaceful dreams.  
With Thor’s and Jin’s help, Odin took down Fenris, and Thor, together with Sif and the Warrior’s Three, sunk the Ship of the Dead, and then Ragnarok the Worldfire was over. Midgard was wasted, Vanaheim heavily damaged, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Muspell and Hel nearly depopulated because their people were all slain in the battle.  
But the other worlds, among them Asgard, had not been touched by Ragnarok, and that was something. Heimdall had protected his home, with the help of one of Jin’s hosts, and Thor was happy there was a place he could return to. Thousands of Einherjar were dead, but even more were still alive. Týr had been killed while fighting Garm, but due to Jin saving Thor’s life, Odin had defeated Fenris and survived.  
The prophecies did not come true after all, and Thor was convinced that the turning point had been the moment when Jin had saved him from being crushed by Jormungard’s body. Odin, agreeing with his son on this point, invited her and Dea to the council, receiving them with all honors. There was a long to and fro of politeness and mutual praises of courage and strength between Odin and Dea, who both obviously delighted in their eloquence.  
At some point of time Jin groaned silently, and Thor couldn’t help but laugh. It earned him a reprehensive glance from his father, but at least he and Dea stopped flattering each other.  
“How comes that you have joined us in battle?” Thor asked. “There has been no mention of you in the prophecies, and I have never heard of a place called Orfalîs.”  
Dea smiled. “There are other prophecies than just yours, Thor. Orfalîs is a part of Midgard, but it is hidden, and few people know it. Both of our prophetesses, my spouse and the queen of Orfalis, Dareah, had visions of what would happen, and Jin wouldn’t stop nagging at the Dragon until he allowed her to join the battle.”  
“Who’s the dragon?” Thor asked.  
“One of the two gods we worship” Jin answered. “And I didn’t nag, I asked politely.”  
Dea smiled affectionately. “You never ask politely, my Generaless.”  
Jin laughed. “True enough. Anyway, we were sent to help. And even if we formally only speak the will of the Dragon, it is also the wish of the Nameless one, our other god, and of our queen that there will be friendship between Asgard and Orfalîs.”  
“That also is our wish” Odin replied. “We would be delighted if you came to Asgard with us to celebrate our victory and sign a peace treaty.”  
Dea beamed. “We will ever be grateful for this honor, All-father. We accept your most gracious offer.”  
Thor was happy, too. He liked Jin and Dea. If they’d stay in Asgard for some time, maybe he’d feel less lonely.  
“There is another, less pleasant matter to be discussed, though.” He turned to Jin. “Follow me, Generaless. I understand you have to say something in it. And you, too, son” he added in Thor’s direction.  
They followed him to the camp for the prisoners of war, Dea and Thor’s companions tagging along unasked. Odin led them to a wooden hut. It was dark in there, and all Thor could see was a man, kneeling on the floor, his hands spread and each shackled to a chain that vanished into the walls. His head drooped in an angle that looked hurtful.  
“Why is he in chains?” Jin asked. “This man fought beside me on the battlefield, saved my life many a time.”  
Thor barely heard her. His eyes were fixed on the unkempt mass of black curls. Could it be? Could it be?  
“Are you speaking true?” Odin asked.  
Jin nodded. “Whenever I was in danger and no one else was there, he’d appear out of nothing and slay my opponents. With nothing but a dagger.”  
Thor trembled. He remembered Loki’s vicious daggers all too well. How he’d stabbed him on top of the Stark Tower and how he used them to kill the dark elves in Svartalfheim.  
How Loki died there.  
“That was just part of his scheme!” If Sif’s looks could have killed, Loki would have really died this time.  
“He also helped saving Thor” Jin countered. “I kept Jormungard’s body from crushing him, but it was this man who brought him out of its reach and called Dea.”  
They looked at Thor. He knew that they expected him to say something, but he couldn’t. Not yet.  
“He did” Dea confirmed. “He also saved my life by saving Jin’s” she added lowly. She was the first to move since they entered the shack, kneeling in front of the prisoner and gently lifting his face to look at it.  
Thor sharply breathed in. Loki’s face bore heavy marks of his captivity. His chin was caked with dried blood, his left eye swollen and his eyebrow split. He groaned weakly.  
Jin ground her teeth. “This is unworthy. This man is a hero! Let him go.”  
“This man is a criminal!” Sif shouted. “He deceived us! He killed so many!”  
“And he stood by us in the time of our need.” Thor was surprised to hear his own voice. “He risked his life to help me when I tried to destroy the ether.”  
“Well obviously he survived it.” Fandral shook his head. “Thor, he used this opportunity to escape Asgard’s prisons, nothing more.”  
“He faced Malekith together with me.”  
“He pretended to be Odin and ruled Asgard in his place!” Volstagg roared, and suddenly Thor found himself shouting, too.  
“But he left when we blew his cover! He didn’t fight us!”  
“He fled because he feared to be cast back in his cell!” Sif retorted heatedly. “Are we going to reward him now for not killing someone for a change?”  
“But he was your friend once, too!” Thor replied, knowing they were right and not wanting to believe it. “How can you wish for his death?”  
Dea got up and turned to them. “He deserves my gratitude, too. I opt in his favor. Give him a chance.”  
Odin, who had watched their argument silently, looked at Thor. “What do you say, Thor?”  
Thor looked at his semi-conscious brother and tried to understand this hurtful tightness in his chest. “I say what I have always said. Take him home.”  
Odin mustered him with a pondering look. Thor returned it calmly but firmly, and finally his father nodded.  
“I hear your words – all of your words.” He pointed Gungnir at Sif and the Warriors Three. “You are right when you remind us of Loki’s crimes. His victims are not forgotten.” He turned to Jin and Dea. “And you are right if you value his deeds during this battle. They will not be forgotten, either.”  
He faced Thor. “I grant your wish. Take him home. But you will make sure that he won’t do any mischief, not even play the littlest prank. You will be responsible for any damage he causes.”  
He looked down on Loki, lifting his chin with Gungnir’s head. “Prove yourself worthy, Loki, so one day, I may call you my son again.”


	2. Chapter Two

Thor was really looking forward to fighting Jin.   
He had fought women before, sparring with Lady Sif or the Valkyrie Guard, but Jin was a completely different opponent.   
They eyed each other on the sparring ground, the crowd cheering behind the barriers, crying at them to finally start their match.  
Jin was tall, almost as tall as Thor himself, and even though she was much leaner than him, her strength almost equaled his. He knew that, would have known even without fighting by her side on Ragnarok’s battlefield. He knew it because her movements had that easy grace that only comes with great strength. And her tactical knowledge made her an even more capable warrior – she was a Generaless, after all, and had lead her army from one victory to another.  
And now, by popular demand, she was facing Thor in single combat. The crowd screamed and roared, cries of Jin! and Thor! ringing in his ears. Behind him, among his supporters, were Sif and the Warriors Three, and there, just outside of the thickest hubbub, his brother. Loki had done his best do blend in so far. He even cut his hair back to the way he used to wear it before – before everything. At least with Thor, this little trick worked: Loki looked so young, and from the distance even innocent, that Thor almost allowed himself to forget everything that happened.   
Loki caught his eyes, and a faint smile played around his lips. He probably hoped for the rare sight of his brother bested.  
On the opposite, behind Jin, cheered a throng of her soldiers, howling and bawling just as loud as the Asgardians. At the front, just behind the barrier, stood Dea, calm and composed, with an expression much like Loki’s. When she met Thor’s eye, she even showed a smile like his brother’s – she did not expect to see Thor as the winner of this fight.  
But that didn’t bother him. Of course, Loki would always hope to see him outdone, and of course Jin's lover would trust in her victory.   
In fact, Thor didn’t care if he’d win or if he’d lose. This was just a sparring – well, a little more than a usual sparring, true enough. They had agreed on not holding back with any of their powers, not for the sake of each other's physical integrity, so Thor had summoned Mjolnir – a little extra for the show. But aside from that, it was nothing more than a sparring, and what counted was the fight.   
Jin’s attack tore him out of his thoughts. The ground beneath his feet shook and suddenly rose, knocking him off his feet.   
The crowd roared, laughter and angry cries mixing. In an instant only, he was back upright again. Jin grinned at him.  
“Careful, oh mighty Thunderer. The ground is not reliable ‘round here.”  
She mocked him. She knocked him off and now she was mocking him. He’d show her how unreliable the ground really could be. He summoned a lightning, caught its power in his hammer and smashed it to the ground in a powerful stroke – powerful, but not even close to what he could have accomplished with less innocent bystanders around.   
Now it was his side of the audience that roared and cheered. Jin, though, must have foreseen his move and found an easy way to dodge his attack: she jumped, high and gracefully, whirled through the air like a bloody bird and landed closely in front of Thor. For a second, he saw her feral grin, then she smoothly bend her knees and kicked at Thor’s feet.  
Instead of avoiding her attack, he grabbed her leg and yanked it upwards. For a moment she dangled in the air before him, but with a movement of her arms, the ground beneath them broke into fragments which came flying at Thor.   
He swung Mjolnir in a circle around himself, shattering them to dust, but Jin made use of that one second and was suddenly swinging upwards, twisting his wrist so bad that he had to let her go.   
It proved to be most pleasing a fight. The Generaless was a clever, inventive opponent. She fought without cheap tricks – unlike someone else lingering in the back of Thor’s head – but left no weakness, no second of inattention unpunished.  
When the bell rang the time limit, they met in the middle of the sparring ground, shaking hands.  
“I almost wish we wouldn’t be here to sign a peace treaty” Jin said with a smile. “Meeting you in battle – in true battle, where we could make use of the full extent of your capabilities – is an experience I wouldn’t miss.”  
Thor smiled. “I have to return the compliment – but it would seem someone would be worried if you and I truly fought each other.”  
Someone.   
Would someone be worried over him?  
Jin laughed and rolled her eyes. “I can tell you, beside the many perks of having such a lovely lady at my side – it surely makes you weigh the risks with a different scale.” She ran her fingers through her short, sweaty hair. “I think I should take a bath before the feast starts, or I will be a very unpleasant drinking comrade.”  
Thor laughed and flung an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll show you to the bathrooms.”

Now that the spectacle was over, the crowd thinned as the people went away to take part in one of the many other amusements. Loki was, in fact, a little bit disappointed with the Generaless – she’d made such a good start with flinging Thor off his feet. He saved her life on the battlefield, again and again, and she couldn’t even do him the favor and hurt Thor, just a little bit? Was a tiny little scratch on his stupid face asked too much?  
At least, Thor had met a worthy opponent today. The sight of his foolish brother, tumbling like the oaf he was, had been worthwhile after all – a nice little extra to why Loki actually came here.  
He was curious about the magic their visitors wielded.  
Or better: one of their visitors. Jin’s magic was much like Thor’s – a blunt, raw elemental force, effective but not very sophisticated.   
No, he wanted to get a better look at that lover of Jin’s – that small, fragile woman. He’d rarely seen her on the fields during Ragnarok because she didn’t take part in the fights, but even from afar he could spot her magic shining around her like moonlight.  
So he stayed where he was, when everyone was dispersing, half hidden behind a column, and watched her coming nearer. She was talking to someone – a man of the Generaless, judging by the sign of the dragon on his breast – and he could see her charm shimmering on her skin and spark in her hair.   
She said something to her guard, sending him off with a wave of her hand, and then turned to face Loki.  
She looked at him calmly, her hands folded in front of her skirt. Their eyes met for a moment, then she curtseyed before him.  
At least, she knew her place.  
“Loki, prince of Asgard. It is such an honor to meet you.”  
He decided to feign ignorance, just to see how much she really valued that honor.  
“Who are you that you dare to address me so freely?”  
She smiled. If she was irritated, she hid it masterly.  
“Forgive my boldness. I am Dea of Orfalîs, Priestess of the Dragon and spouse of the Generaless. I wanted to thank you for saving Jin’s life.”  
Spouse. That hit went home. How self-evident it was for her to be with another woman.  
Loki shrugged her gratitude off. “I have heard you called by other epithets, too. Dea the Enchantress is one of them.”  
She laughed softly. “People who give me that name usually overrate my power. I am only a dancer – an extraordinarily gifted dancer, true, but nothing more.”  
This conversation started to become enjoyable. Extraordinarily gifted, indeed, he thought, as her magic shone on her hands. Technically, she hadn’t even been lying.  
“You surely will give us an example of your skills tonight?” he inquired, eager to see her work her charms.   
She smiled as if he had complimented her. “I will, at the feast. I – “ She paused, eyeing him for a moment. “My prince, you surely know that you have the reputation of a mighty wielder of the runes - of someone who is capable of powerful seiðr.”  
Oh, she was clever, trying to use his own conceit against him. He almost laughed. What a pleasant change from the usual discussions about fighting and drinking. She saw through him, and he knew it, and she knew he knew it.  
And still, both went on pretending, just for the mere fun of it.  
Loki raised a brow. “Did they not tell you, also, that I use my seiðr only for mischievous ends? That I abuse my powers to play cheap tricks on the people who trust me?”  
Dea tilted her head the slightest bit. “They did. But I have this habit of having my own opinion about many a thing.”  
How charming – trying to win him over by pretending to be unbiased.  
“So, now that you have met me – how do you judge me?”  
She dropped all pretense of light-heartedness. “I never judge. I only observe.”  
“Then, pray, tell me what you observe when you look at me”, he mocked.  
Her dark eyes locked with his.   
“I see a conflicted mind”, she finally said. “I see something you both want and loathe, my prince, and I see a lot of damaged trust.” When she smiled, there seemed to be something more than just her smile. “But I also see eagerness to learn, to grow, and to expand your limits. You have a keen mind, my prince, and a silver tongue.”  
She almost made it sound as if he was an agreeable person. Quite interesting, wasn’t it?  
“Not many people would describe me like that”, he replied, neither objecting nor confirming her.  
“Not many people see what I see.” Her smile was back, and it had changed. There was something more, something she hadn’t mentioned.   
Did she try to hide something from him? Or was she just tactful? He, of course, would have used it against her, but she wasn’t him.   
Oh, this was getting more and more fun.  
“But concerning what I said before – your magic, my prince… I admit I have been curious about it for a long time.”  
“I am a prince, not a jester” he replied coldly, wondering what she would do to convince him.  
“Of course not” she agreed amiably, still no sign of irritation in her bearing. “But maybe we can learn from one another. I bet you could make use of some of my skills, too.”  
Loki decided to try her some more. “I have no need of the skills of a pleasure slave.”  
This time, he got her. Loki had done his homework.   
Her eyes darkened, and her magic sizzled around her. “I have come to you expressing my gratitude, seeking your friendship – is this how you reward it?”  
Loki started to lose interest in the conversation. He knew that reaction way too well.  
“I have not asked for your friendship, Dea. Neither for your tricks.”  
She mustered him, then curtseyed once more, her composure now perfect again. “Maybe my performance tonight will make you change your mind. I must now go change. If you would excuse me, my prince.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: When I wrote this chapter, I didn't know there was a Marvel character called "Enchantress", so Dea is not supposed to be anything like her. They do have some similar skills (e.g. enchanting people :p) but that's it.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki took his place beside his brother at the head of the horseshoe-shaped table that had been put up in the throne hall. Here, they hosted the dignitaries of Asgard and Jin’s officers, while the simple folk would have their feast outside, under the open night-sky. Loki almost envied them. The air was stuffy and hot and smelled of all the bodies around him, and the food was too greasy and too heavy and the noise of the feasting people just was too loud for his sensitive ears.  
He picked on his food and waited for this tedious business to be over.  
But of course it hadn’t escaped his notice that the place beside Jin was empty, and he had to admit he was a little bit curious about Dea’s performance.  
He leant back and let his eyes idly skim the feasting crowd, Asgardians and members of Jin’s host quaffing and eating side by side and in peace.  
What a shame. What glorious havoc could have been wreaked if there had been war instead.  
He closed his eyes and replayed the scene of Thor tumbling on the training grounds. It said a lot about the feast that the most entertaining sight of this banquet existed only in his head.  
But – wasn’t there something else? A sound, almost drowned by the clatter of cutlery, the voices, the cheering.  
Music?  
Yes, it definitely was music, strange and sweet and with a driving rhythm.  
He opened his eyes. No one else seemed to have noticed yet.  
“Thor, do you hear this?”  
“Hear what, Loki?”  
“The music.”  
“Loki, there is no music – “  
“Listen! Are you deaf?” he snapped, and Thor actually did listen for a moment.  
“You’re right, Loki! What is this?”  
The music was growing louder – getting nearer, too. Loki smiled.  
“Who, not what, Thor.”  
His brother gave him a questioning glance, but Loki said no more.  
More and more people noticed the swelling music now, raising their heads and searching for its source. It still increased in volume, until it drowned out everything else.  
And then the door to the hall burst open, and Dea danced in, accompanied by the music that played all by itself.  
The crowd gasped and gaped at her. She wore seven skirts of silk that swirled around her bare feet, and seven silken veils in the colors of a rainbow. Her belly was bare till down to her loins, and her chest was only covered by a silken sash, but it was not her lithe figure that bewitched the audience – in fact, many of Asgard’s men preferred their women a little stouter.  
It was her charm, her runework. She wore Iara, the rune of plenty, a golden light braided in her hair. Daeg, the bright day, shone on her forehead and Beorc, the slender birch on her waist. Lagu, the water-rune, gleamed on the backs of her hands and joyful Wynn between her breasts.  
Loki had to acknowledge how perfectly the runework molded with her natural charm, heightening her beauty to something there were no words for. Her dance was the center of the world while it lasted, so much more than just the slim, pliable body moving with grace and skill. It was promise, desire, beauty incarnated, and her spell worked on everyone in the hall, men and women alike.  
Well, except Loki himself, of course. Once you could see through it, all magic lost its power. But it was still a decent piece of craftsmanship, and Loki always enjoyed a good show.  
But he wasn’t the only one unaffected by her charms. Jin, of course, was used to it – maybe even immune to it – and watching Dea was only delight for her, knowing that tonight she could sate the desire sown in her heart.  
To Loki’s surprise, Thor, too, seemed oddly calm. Of course he watched Dea, and enjoyed her performance, but there was no trace of rapture on his face.  
Thor, immune to such a powerful magic? Honestly, Loki had expected his simple brother to fall for it head over heels. This day really was full of surprises.  
But his oaf of a brother and the Generaless were the only exceptions. Even Odin, the All-father, proved sensitive to Dea’s charms, watching her without blinking once, bent forward and almost leering at her.  
And suddenly it struck Loki what a fool he had been. He should have seen so much sooner – realized what immense power beauty had over the heart of men. People trusted beauty. People craved beauty. And beauty always tricked them, fled them, left them feeling weak and worthless when they realized beauty was all they’d ever had.  
Oh, he really should have thought of how much chaos he could cause by making people like him.  
Of course there was his brother, always eager to obtain only the smallest sign of Loki’s affection, but since Frigga’s death, he was most likely the only one. Of course, Loki hadn’t exactly tried to be agreeable. It was just too much fun to deflate their egos by exposing their dumbness with his silver tongue. But maybe, he began to see that now, it would have served him better, in a long-term view, to act a little more conciliatorily.  
He’d keep it in mind. But to recreate the effect Dea’s dance had, he’d need more than just some nice words.  
When Dea’s performance was over, the ovations went on and on as she curtseyed and blew kisses to her enchanted audience. They probably would have spent the whole night like this, crying out their desire for her, but she eventually left the space between the tables where she’d been dancing, and sat down beside her spouse.  
Jin kissed her, chastely, to avoid offending anyone by base behavior, but everyone understood the message: Dea was hers, and no one else would lay a hand on her. And Dea seemed to like it. She never shook off Jin’s touches, even though they would get quite possessive sometimes, on the contrary: she leaned into them, smiling a silly little lover’s smile, and nestled closer to Jin.  
Could a simple touch really feel so good? Loki had never liked being touched, but obviously it was what people did with other people if they liked them. Maybe touching should become a part of Loki’s new, conciliatory self.

He didn’t search out Dea deliberately. He just arranged to meet her by chance in the gardens around the palace in Asgard, where she was walking accompanied by her spouse, Thor and his companions.  
It was Thor who spotted him first.  
“Loki! Have you come to join us?” The fool was smiling wide, betraying himself by giving away so much of his emotions.  
Loki looked at him with mild surprise as if this thought never so much as crossed his mind.  
“Why, no, I was just taking a walk after long hours of studying.”  
Thor laughed, nevertheless, seeming truly happy to see him. “Well, now that you’re here, why don’t you take your walk with us?”  
“Why not”, he muttered, and Thor put an arm around his shoulder. Loki’s first impulse was to shove it off of him, as he’d always done – but then he remembered his decision.  
Conciliatory, he reminded himself, and allowed Thor’s arm to stay where it was, even though its warm weight forced Loki to fall into step with his brother.  
He listened to their conversation for some time, waiting for an opportunity to talk to Dea. When they reached the harbor, Thor finally let go of him to greet some acquaintance, and Dea smiled at Loki.  
“It seems you have reconciled with your brother, my prince.”  
“There has been no quarrel between us.”  
She looked at him, serious now, as if searching for something in his face, but decided not to dwell on that matter.  
“I hope you enjoyed my performance last night”, she said instead, with the slightest mockery in her voice.  
Loki smiled. She did not disappoint him.  
“I did. I was surprised how effective your runework was.”  
Jin, who had been listening silently, frowned. “How do you know about her runework?”  
Conciliatory, Loki, remember. We do not want to upset them – yet.  
“I am not unfamiliar with magic, myself.”  
“Oh, right. I heard rumors about you being a shapeshifter.” Her voice made clear she didn’t approve of it, but he decided not to care – not today, when he wanted something from Jin’s spouse, but it wouldn’t be forgotten.  
Conciliatory my ass.  
Instead of what he really wanted to say, he smiled his most charming smile – and his smile was very charming.  
“I am flattered that people seem to talk about nothing but my humble self.”  
Jin’s face darkened at his jeer, but Dea’s hand on her arm made her hold back.  
“Dea, could I speak to you in private for a moment?”  
His request made Jin frown even more. “What do you have to tell her that I cannot hear, too, Silver Tongue?”  
Dea tiptoed and grazed her lover’s cheek with her lips. “Don’t worry about me, love. I’ll just have a little walk with the prince.”  
Jin sighed, but seemed comforted by the mere fact that Dea acknowledged her discomfort. “All right. Meet us at the sparring ground when you’re done.”  
Now Dea gave her a real kiss. “I will.”  
For some time, they walked silently side by side along the edge of the water.  
“I have to admit I am quite impressed by your dancing” Loki finally said.  
“Thank you, my prince. I am glad you enjoyed my performance – even though you seemed less thrilled by it than most of the audience.”  
So she’d noticed. Loki was pleased with her.  
“I saw through your magic. I could spot the runes on your body.”  
There was too much amusement in her smile. “That does not affect the efficacy of the magic itself, not with runes, and not with the seiðr of the Moondancers.”  
“Tell me then why I was immune to your doing.”  
“Because no magic, as powerful as it might be, can take the place of a true and strong emotion. Last night, I was conjuring rapture and desire into the empty hearts, and the longing hearts, and the hearts of those who have lost their sight for wonders.” She halted her steps and looked at him, her dark glance reaching the core of his being. “Your heart, Loki, is full of love.”  
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Again, your judgment differs from that of many others.”  
Dea smiled. “But not from all. Surely your brother would agree with me on some points at least.”  
Loki tensed. What had Thor to do with this?  
“My brother knows nothing, woman.” He sounded angrier than he intended to.  
Now it was Dea who laughed. “I agree with you on that point. Let’s continue our walk, shall we?”  
She was silent, and Loki couldn’t help but wonder what she was seeing in him. Was she blind? She didn’t trust the rumors, fine and well, but couldn’t she see all the anger in him? The envy, the void?  
“Love is a more complex feeling than most people believe”, she muttered, as if in reply to his thoughts. “Love can cause horrible deeds.”  
Loki didn’t bother to reply. Silently, he guided her to the path that would lead to the training grounds.  
“But you most likely did not intent to discuss the nature of love with me when you asked me for this walk, my prince.”  
“I didn’t”, he agreed. “I have reconsidered your offer, and I am interested in it.”  
She was obviously pleased. “I hoped you’d change your mind. It would be a pleasure to learn from you, my prince.” She paused. “Just… how much of my magic do you want to acquire? Will it include dancing lessons?”  
Loki stiffened at the mere thought. “Will it have to include dancing lessons?”  
“Not necessarily. But the magic will be strongest with the ceremonial dances. And anyway, the seiðr of the Moondancers always includes your body, if danced or not. It is worked with your body. You can use the runes to channel and amplify its magic, but without your body, it will be mere casting the runes, and I think you know that well enough.”  
He did.  
“What will I have to do?”  
She halted again and mustered him. “Probably not much besides actually learning how to work this specific way of magic. You have a good carriage and fine proportions, and a strong presence. Your fighting training should give you just as much control over your body as dancing does.” She smiled. “And you are more beautiful than most of the dancers used to be.”  
Strangely enough, he believed her. She had no reason to pay him false compliments, and there had been frankness in her eyes. But, after all, that was only the way she saw him – and, as Loki had already pointed out, it differed from how most people looked at him.  
When they reached the training grounds, he decided to stay, against his original plans, and watch Jin, Thor and the others train their strength and dexterity.  
Soon, he would be training too, expanding his powers. They would see how much their strength would be of use to them then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the unreadable format, html and I are not friends yet. :/
> 
> As always, corrections are welcome. :) Find me also at tumblr: http://amaltheagrey.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

He met Dea in the library the next morning. She was late, and when she finally entered, her face was flushed, her hair mussed and ruffled, and her calm bearing replaced by lazy, languid movements, fluttering lashes and pleasured sighs.  
She curtseyed before Loki, this time flinching a bit as she bent her knees and tilted her pelvis to keep her body upright. Sex was written all over her, even her magic was rippling on her skin, swirling where her lover must have touched her: her breasts, her thighs, her lips and between her legs.  
“You have kept me waiting because you’ve been coupling with your spouse? I would have expected better self-control from you, Dea.” He didn’t look at her.  
“I am sorry” she breathed. “Jin was not happy that I would spend so much time with you.”  
“But you convinced her” he jeered.   
“I did.”  
“By using your body like a whore would.”  
She sat down face to face with him. “By showing her how much she means to me. By doing things with her I won’t do with anyone else.”  
Now Loki looked at her, full of scorn. “You should be ashamed of yourself, letting your composure down like this.”  
“I was hurrying to meet you, my prince.” Aside from that one angry look she’d given him two days before, she was always so reasonable and kind, and it made him furious.   
He was used to be listened to when he insulted people, even if no one would listen to his counsel.  
And Dea, kind, understanding person that she was, would try to explain herself, to make him see – to comfort him.   
It was unbearable.  
“Meet me like this? Like a whore from the bed of her punter? I should have you beheaded for this lèse-majesté!”  
She smiled. He threatened her, insulted her, and she had the nerve to smile at him.   
“Given you could without Jin wrecking your palace in order to save me – who would introduce you to the Dragon’s magic, then? Who would show you how to work a Moondancer’s seiðr?”  
His fury dissolved into amusement. She was just so much like him.  
“You’re right. I will adjourn the decision about your head for some time.”  
She snickered, and he had to admit to himself that she was pleasant company, clever and self-confident and almost as quick-witted as him.  
“I would like to start with some basic knowledge, if that’s all right with you? To work the seiðr in the right way, it’s important you know some facts about its origin.”  
Loki leaned back, making himself comfortable. “Shoot.” More knowledge always meant more power.  
She told him about the gods of her world: two powerful entities, opposing yet completing each other, and forming a world in the stress field between them.   
“Imagine them like the two halves of a broken bowl. They would still exist without each other, but to be complete, to contain their world like water, to mean something, they need each other.”  
Loki refused to think of the parallels and listened as Dea explained that Jin and she were servants of one of these gods, the Dragon. He was the one embodying presence and everything linked with it: light, heat, fertility, beauty, and Loki, this time unable to keep his mind from straying, muttered:  
“Sounds like my brother.”  
Dea laughed. “Well, despite some common traits, the Dragon is not much like Thor. He is also the god of peace and love, of everything dear and familiar. If he appears in human shape, he looks like a youth, no year older than eighteen, slender and frail.”  
Loki sighed. “Not much like Thor, true enough.” He waved at her to go on.   
“The other one, the Nameless One, is everything that isn’t. He’s incarnated absence: darkness, cold, hatred, war.”  
Loki shivered. This was getting more uncomfortable than he’d expected.  
“The Nameless One is defined by lack. He is a void, always empty and unable to change that on his own. This is why he always longs to be with the dragon, to participate in his richness. But the Dragon needs him just as much: a light that does not light a darkness is useless. A fire that is unable to warm a cold burns to ashes without being noticed. Presence has to differ from absence to mean anything.”  
Now Loki trembled, but she pretended not to see it, and he wanted her to go on. Wanted to believe what she was saying: That opposites did not have to destroy each other.  
“There is a legend about them. At first, there was just the Nothing, the darkness and cold, without conscience or purpose. When the Dragon awoke, and there was the first light, the Nothing also started to perceive, to think. It – He – was scared by it, feared it, and therefore hated it. He attacked it, and the Dragon, overwhelmed by the sudden attack, fought back.  
They both were angry and insulted, but they both felt there was more behind it than pure animosity, and in the pre-creational void they got closer and closer to each other. When they first looked at each other, they knew the battle was over.”  
Dea smiled at him, gently, and if Loki’s head hadn’t been spinning, he would have been mad at her for trying to manipulate him like this. In her eyes he read that she knew the effect her words had on him, but, just like he would have done, she pretended this was nothing more than a meaningless tale.  
“You have to keep that in mind, my prince. The Moondancers are the priests of the Dragon, and we put his will into action, but we always also acknowledge the Nameless One. We always keep in our mind that without him, our god wouldn’t be there, either. We always remember that without an abyss, there is no eight.”  
“How does that affect the working of your seiðr?” he asked and managed to sound mildly interested despite of himself.  
“Because the way to accomplish your goals will differ depending on who you work your seiðr on. Let’s take my performance two days ago as an example: I was dancing before a large audience, and my obvious end was to charm them. But because I could not consider and attend to the individual need of every single one of them, I had to amplify my magic with the runes. It was powerful and overwhelming like a tidal wave, but it did not change them. They might have felt disorientated and sad and empty when I was done, but the morning after, they would remember it merely as a nice dancing performance.”  
Loki lazily rested his chin on his hand. “I suppose it is different when you work it on a single person.”  
“Oh yes. That is the time when you have to remember the Nameless One. Because every living being carries features of the Dragon and the Nameless one in them. They all have something to give, but they all have a desperate need to fulfill, too.”  
Loki smiled. “I like the implications of that.”  
Dea returned his smile, mockingly. “I believe you do. But the Moondancers do not make use of this knowledge to manipulate them. We show them that their void can be filled, and how they can do it. We help them to become happy.”  
Loki snorted. “How boring.”

They spent the first day only talking, discussing and comparing their different ways to work seiðr, and even though Loki’s back hurt from the hours of idle sitting, when they finally left the library, he was pleased, almost happy. After he’d recovered from the initial shock of the legend Dea had told him, they’d had an intellectual challenging conversation. He had started to understand how a Moondancer’s magic worked, and had introduced Dea to the basics of conjuring all kinds of illusions.   
He found himself enjoying her presence more and more. His insults had turned into almost amicable badinages, and she usually paid him back in the same coin. He enjoyed the presence of someone so much like him, but there still were moments when she annoyed him to no end.  
Because sometimes, she just seemed to be a better version of himself, sharing all of his good traits and none of his bad. And he found himself thinking about ways to humiliate her, to hurt her and make her lose her composure, just to prove himself she was no better than him.  
And, in that aspect, she was like his brother, too – because he wanted to do the same to Thor.

The days of Jin’s and Dea’s visit stretched into weeks, and were soon formed by a fixed rhythm: In the mornings, Dea and Loki would meet early to talk and teach each other, both making fast progresses in the other one’s ways to work magic. After lunch Dea would spend the time with her spouse, which usually meant watching Jin sparring with Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three, or showing them around to the many sights of Asgard. Sometimes, Loki decided to join them, sometimes not. When he was around, Thor would sooner or later approach him, creating a private moment, and ask Loki about what he did all the time when he was alone with Dea.  
“Don’t worry, brother, I’m not going to be any trouble. Dea is doing her best to reform me.”  
Thor looked at him doubtfully, and Loki added: “If you don’t trust me, trust her. Talk to her and ask her if she thinks I’m planning on something. Thor, she is teaching me, nothing else.”  
Thor frowned. “Teaching you what?”  
Loki smiled. “You’ll see that soon enough, I promise.”  
A change of that peaceful – apologies, of course Loki meant to say dull – run of things came when one evening, Thor suggested they’d go on a raid in one of the other eight worlds, and Jin suggested to show them their home – promising them battles with feral and almost invincible beasts.  
Of course this convinced them, and early in the next morning, they met and left the palace.  
Sif seemed to be surprised to see Dea join them. “We will be seeking war. Are you sure this is the right place for you?”  
Dea smiled. “Don’t worry about me, I’m just here to observe.”  
Thor laughed. “And even if, we’re the mightiest warriors of Asgard, we’ll be able to protect her.”  
But behind his usual amiable smile, Thor seemed troubled. His eyes searched Loki’s, but when they found him, he would look away, frowning and – blushing?   
Bifrost brought them to a vast plain, nothing but dust and rocks, the wind howling with primordial magic. It sang in Loki’s ears, alluring and enticing.   
Come to me, Loki. I will give you infinite power. You will take the throne from your father, overthrow your brother, keep him as your inferior, your servant. You will rule his pleasure and pain, his being will completely depend on your every whim, if you just come to me, surrender to me, come to me, Loki, come to me…  
“An inviting offer”, he muttered. “But I am Loki, and I surrender to no one.”  
“Did you say something?” Thor asked, and as Loki looked at him, his image was overlaid by the picture the magic had shown him: Thor ravaged by Loki’s violent lust, soiled and humiliated by his own pleasure. The magic pulsed through him, prickled on his skin until he felt as if his brain was sparking.  
Loki sighed and let the picture slip away, and before him was only Thor in his armor, unharmed and unaware.  
“I was just wondering where these savage beasts are we were promised.”  
In that moment, Fandral cried out in a mixture of excitement and terror. He pointed to the ground that was raising and moving like a wakening giant.  
They looked at Jin, but she lifted her hands in defense. “Not me. I suppose it’s a – “   
She was interrupted by a cry erupting from many throats, a high-pitched shriek that hurt their ears. The ground shook and broke, and a mass of countless black tentacles erupted, each with a round mouth full of sharp teeth at its end.   
“It’s a desert grahn!” Jin shouted. “I will try to get it out of the ground! Be ready!”  
They unsheathed their weapons, Thor weighing Mjolnir in his hand, while Jin stemmed her legs in the ground, her fists hammers of their own as she smashed them into the ground.   
The grahn – Loki made a mental note to ask Dea about it later – groaned, a rumbling, scrunching sound as if it would chew rocks. The black tentacles lashed out against them, aiming at Jin, but they were ready to defend her.  
It was no easy fight. For every tendril they severed or chopped off or smashed, ten new ones attacked them, and the more Jin lifted the monster, the more fiercely it tried to kill her. But it was so much fun, too, and Loki felt so alive with all this magic ready to be used. His brother laughed, deep and roaring, and Loki answered it with his own laughter, and for that moment, everything was the way it ought to be.  
Then Thor summoned his lightning and hammered it into the ground. The grahn was stunned. Jin grunted and tore two rocks from the ground, lifting them over her head like Thor used to lift his weights, and the beast, a bundle of writhing and lashing tendrils came into full sight.  
Now it was easy to kill the grahn, aiming their strokes at the center of the wriggling tentacles. When it was dead, they stood beside each other, grinning wildly.  
“That was a nice start, Generaless” Volstagg roared. “What are we killing now?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually my first time uploading anything on ao3, so please be gentle with me. English is not my native tongue so I'm grateful for any corrections. Otherwise, please enjoy and comment! 
> 
> Beta-read by the beautiful   
> cepharah


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